Process of dyeing



Nov. 8, 1932. J. WATTERS PROCESS OF DYEING Filed Se pt. 2, 1930 INVENTOR & W

' ATTORNEY S F-FlC aoHN wAlrTERs, or UTIGA, New roux Application filed September 2 1930. Serial No. 479,205.

This invention relates to a dyeing process and particularly to dyeing with vat dyes such as the indanthrene dyes and other dyes sim- ,ilar thereto.

* The purpose of thisinvention is to providea new and improved process of dyeing which process is economical, effective, practical and reliable in operation and results in the goods being evenly dyed and with the desired color 9 evenly developed or oxidized.

Indanthrene dyes and dyes similar thereto tend to quickly oxidize upon exposure to the atmosphere and in fact require oxidation either in the atmosphere or by oxygen sup- 5 plied in the liquid in order to develop the ultimate color that the dye is ,to produce. This oxidation takes place very quickly upon 'exposure of the goods being dyed to the at mosphere so that heretofore the only practical way to use the indanthrene and similar dyes have been to keep the goods submerged in the dye liquor. his requirement of keeping the goods submerged has limited the use of these indanthrene dyes very greatly both in the size or quantity of the goods to be dyed and in the kind of goods to be dyed and the quality of dyeing to be obtained. -Keeping.

goods and particularlyupon tubular knitted goods for these knitted goods cannot with sufficient certainty be kept extended and at the same time moved about in the dye liquor sufficiently to effect good dyeing. The usual tubular knitted goods having two layers or thicknesses especially could not be .extended or have these two layers separated enough to give the dye liquor access to both surfaces of the fabric while still keeping the fabric beneath the liquor; Furthermore, the requirement that the goods being dyed be kept submerged in the dye liquor without exposure to oxygen has prevented the use when indanthrene dye is being employed of the common means, machinery and methods of dyeing and especially has prevented the use of the dyeing machines conveniently and effectively used with other types of dye which machines have above the dye vat a rotated reel which continuously draws the piece goods up out of the dye and feeds them back thereinto which motion obtains the necessary movement of the goods in the dye to get a thorough and even distribution of the dye in the fabric and secondly affords an opportunity for visual inspection of the goods being dyed, and thirdly gives a movement that tends tokeep a long length of fabric or piece goods frombecoming entangled or knotted with itself or with other pieces of goods being simultaneously handled by the same machine.

Further purposes are to provide a process of dyeing with indanthrene and similar dyes which will overcome or avoid the difficulties and disadvantages above named and which 'will particularly avoid the requirement of continuous submergence of the goods in the dye liquor but will admit of using ordinary means and dyeing machines where the goods .are temporarily raised out of the dye without oxidation and which process will at the proper time positively and evenly oxidize the dye or develop the color quickly and permanently. v

While this processof dyeing is particularly adapted to dye knitted and especially tubular knitted piece goods With indanthrene dyes, it is to be noted that a further purpose of myinvention is to provide and that I have provided a process which is broadly applicable to color all classes of textile goods either knit goods or woven goods and including cotton fabrics, silk, artificial silk .and other textile goods.

The figure of the drawing is a transverse vertical sectional view through a common form of dyeing machine which is made applicable to dyeing' with indanthrene and similar dyes by the use of the process herein set forth.

It will be understood that my invention is not limited to use with the machine shown in the drawing herein, but may be used with drawing consists essentially of a vat 5 of suitable size and proportions to conveniently receive one or more long pieces of fabric such as tubular knitted goods or other knitted or wovenfabric. The vat may conveniently be formed with ;opposite straight ends 7, an upright front side 8 and a rear side, 9 which curves forward to meet the flat bottom 10 which extends from the front only part way back across the tank. The purpose of this rear curved side is to aid in the desired movement of the piece of goods 6 through the liquid in the chamber of the vat 5. Preferably there extends from epd to end of the vat a short distance from the front side 8 and upright partition 11 having numerous perforations 12 therein and forming a feed box 13 into which the dye and other materials .to be placed in the chamber of the vatare first poured and from which they pass gradually,

- quickly and with good-distribution into the main hamber of the vat-through which the goods to be dyed are passed.

. Above the vat 5 there is suitably revolubly mounted a reel 14 conveniently formed by longitudinally extending slats 15 spaced apart with their ends let into or otherwise secured to the reel heads 16. A shaft .17 extends through both heads of the reel and has its, projecting ends suitably mounted in the bearings 18 provided upon posts 19 extendmg upward from the ends. of the vat. Suitable means (not shown) are provided to rotate the reel 14 in an anti-clockwise direction as the parts are seen in the drawing. The reel is located as close to thetop of the vat as practicable and is so located that the goods descending from the left hand side of the reel as seen in the drawing 'will descend within the vat, but close to the curved rear side 9 thereof.- Extending across the top of 7 Into the vat is placed a preliminary dye bath of approximately the following proportions, namely for 100 pounds of material to be dyed, there will be used400 gallons of wa ter, 3pounds of caustic soda and 3 pounds of hydrosulphite, the'( dye or coloring matter proper not yet being added to the dye bath.

are run forfifteen minutes. This caustic soda and hydrosulphite used at this first stage or step of myprooess is in addition to or in excess of the amount of these materials that will at the second step of my process be used premature oxidation'of the indanthrene dye applied to the piece goods when the goods are intermittently raised up out of the vat and from the liquor in the vat as the reel 14 is Through this preliminary dye bath the goods rotated with the goods passing over the guide roll 20 and the reel 14 down again into the liquid in the vat during the next orsecond step. The purpose of this preliminary dye bath before the dye itself is added is to insure a sufiicient application of the materials of this preliminary dye bath to the goods'to be dyed before the indanthrene is added to the liquid in the vat and also perhaps to prepare a the water of the bath for the next step.

The next step is to add to the liquid in the vat 5 the indanthrene or other similar dye previously made up in another receptacle commonly 'called'the stock vat. It is understood of course that the indanthrene or similar dyes have been reduced to liquid form by the use of proper solvents therefor such as some of the alkaline materials as caustic soda and hydrosulphite, some water being used to thin down the liquor.

' Asthe indanthrene nor, the piece or pieces ofgoods 6 will condyeis slowly adde d to v the liquid in the vat, and forms the dye liqtinue to be run throughthe vat over the guide roll and reeland back into the vat and this running of the material or movement there f through the vat will, continue for from orty-five to sixty minutes. of caustic soda and of hydrosulphite used and preliminarily applied to the fabric and large- The excess 1y continuing to be present in the dye liquor after the dye is added operates to prevent or sufliciently prevent any appreciable oxidation of the indanthrene dye as successive portions of the long piece of goods are for a few seconds raised out of the tank over the guide roll 20 and reel 14 and dropped again into the back of the tank. It will be seen that by thus preventing or sufficiently retarding oxidation as outlined so far in my process I am able to use the machine described which is on hand in most dye departments of mills for f other classes of dyeing and that by allowing the use of such a machine, or more broadly by allowing the temporary raising of the goods out of the dye liquor the goods may be visibly inspected "and also manipulated so'asto prethrough'the dye liquor the color will have been absorbed by the fabric. There is then added to this same dye liquor, one to two per cent of bichromate of soda or bichromate of I potash or three per cent of perborate of soda in proportion to the weight of the goods belng dyed. After the addition of these materials the goods will continue. to be run through the liquor for about fifteen minutes. The addition at this third step of my process of the said bichromate of soda .or bichromate of potash or of perborate is to positively cause oxldation oftthe color or development of the color or dye to its ultimate color down in the liquid. The addition of these chemicals operates to allow or cause an even and relatively quick oxidation of the dye to take place most- 1y I believe in the liquid although some slight oxidation may occur in the relatively short intrvals when the fabric is out of the dye liquid on its way over the reel. The addition of one.

of these chemicals at this third stage of the process of dyeing either by neutralizing or overcoming the materials theretofore preventing or retarding oxidation or by supplying or freeing. oxygen presentin the liquid, certainly produces the desired prompt and even oxidation or development of the color to the desired final extent. By allowing ox da- I tionto proceed immediately in the vat and in the dye liquor where the goods still are any delay or extra, labor in transferring the goods to another container or to another machine is obviated and the color in the goods is finally and definitely developed without the danger of uneven oxidation that would occur if the goods had to be transferred to an'other machine or to another container or left for any time in the atmosphere.

After this final oxidation or development of the color has taken place the goods are then thoroughly washed and dried and are then ready for use; I I

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: p v

\ 1. The process of dyeing with indanthrene and similar vat dyes developed by oxidation which consists in subjecting the goods to be dyed to loose, continuous motion including repeated submergence in the following named baths and repeated temporaryelevation therefrom into the air for inspection, viz: to a preliminary bath of water, caustic soda and hydro-sulphite, there being an ex- 'cess of caustic soda and of hydrosulphite over the amount required for keeping the dye in z solution, then adding to this bath the said dye material in dissolved form and subjecting the goods to said dye liquor until the dye is absorbed by the goods, the excess of hydrosulphite supplied during said preliminary bath operating during this treatment of the goods by the 'dye bath to prevent oxidation of the indanthrene dye while the goods are temporarily exposed to the atmosphere, and then adding to the dye bath a material adapted to bring about oxidation and final development of the dye while the goods are subjected to this bath.

2. The process of dyeing with indanthrene and similar vat dyes developed by oxidation which consists in subjecting the goods to be dyed to loose, continuous motion including repeated submergence in the following named baths and repeated temporary elevation therefrom into the air for inspection, viz: to a preliminary'bath of water, caustic soda and hydrosulphite, then adding tothis bath the said dye material in dissolved form and subjecting the goods to said dye liquor until the dye is absorbed by the goods, the amount of caustic soda and of hydrosulphite in the preliminary vat beingsufiiciently in excess over the amount required for keeping the dye in solution to prevent oxidation of the indanthrenedye when the goods are temporarily exposed to the atmosphere while being moved through the dye bath and thenadding to the dye bath one to about three per cent per weight of goods of a material adapted to bring about oxidation and continuing'the treatment of said goods in said bath until theoxidation and development of the color is complete.

3. The process of dyeing With indanthrene and similar vat dyes developed by oxidation which consists in subjecting the goods to be dyed to loose, continuous motion including repeated submergence in the following named baths and. repeated temporary elevation therefrom into the air for inspection, viz: to a preliminary bath of water, caustic soda and hydrosulphite for about fifteen minutes, then adding to this bath the said dye material in dissolved form and subjecting the goods to said dye liquor for from forty-five to sixty minutes, the amount of caustic soda and of hydrosulphite in the preliminary bath being suffici'ently in excess over the amount required for holding" the dye dissolved to prevent oxidation of the indanthrene dye when the goods are temporarily exposed to the atmosphere while being moved through the .dyeing bath and then adding to the dye bat-h and similar vat dyes developed by oxidation;

oxidation and continuing the treatment of said goods in said bath for. about fifteen minutes until oxidation or development of the color is complete.

4. The process of dyeing with indanthrene which consists in subjecting the goods to be dyed to loose, continuous motion including repeated submergence in the following named "baths and repeated temporary elevation therefrom into the air for inspection, viz: to a preliminary bath of water, caustic soda and hydrosulphite, then adding to this 'bath the said dye material in dissolved form and subjecting the goods to said dye liquor until the dye is absorbed by the goods and meanwhile raising the temperature of the bath to approximately .120 to 160 degrees Fah and final'development of the dye while the.

goods are subjected to this bath. g

5. The process of dyei'ngwith indanthrene and similar vat dyes developed by oxidation "which consists in subjecting the goods to be dyed to loose, continuous motion including repeated submergence in the following named baths and repeated temporary elevation therefrom into the air for inspection, viz: to apreliminary bath of approximately 400 gallons of water, three pounds of .caustic soda and three pounds of hydrosulphite per hund-red pounds of material to be dyed, then adding to this bath the said dye material in dissolved form and subjecting the goods to said dye liquor until the dye is absorbed by the,

goods, the amount of caustic soda. and of hydrosulphite in the preliminary bath being sufiicient-lyin excess over 'the amount required minutes, the amount of caustic soda and of hydrosulphite in the preliminary bath being sufiiciently in excess over the amount required for holding the dye dissolved to prevent oxidation of the ind anthrene dye when the goods are temporarily exposed to the atmos here while being moved through the dyeing bath and then adding to the dye bath one to about three per cent per weight of goods of a material adapted to bring about oxidation and continuing the treatment of said goods in said bath for about fifteen minutes until oxidation or development of the color is com-- plete.

and similar vat dyes developed by oxidation which consists in placing the goods in an open-topped vat, constantly moving the goods through the hereinafter described baths in the vat and intermittentlyeup out of the bath into the air for inspection and down into the bath again, said baths being, first, a \bath of water and a material adapted to prevent or retard oxidation of such dyes, such-re arding materials being in excess of the material required to keep the dye in solution, second, a bath formed by adding the indanthrene or similar dye in dissolved form .to the first bath and continuing the aforesaid constant movement of the goods intermittently through said bath and through the air until the dye is [absorbed by the goods, and third, adding to the second bath a material to produce oxidation of the dye and continuing the aforesaid movement of the goods through and intermittently out of the bath until the dye is completely oxidized.

In witness whereof I have afiixed my signature this 19th day of June, 1930. JOHN WATTERS.

for keeping the dye in solution,to prevent oxidation of the indanthrene dye when the goods are temporarily exposed to the atmosphere while being moved through the dye bath and then adding to the dye bath one to about three per cent per Weightof goods of a material adapted to bring about oxidation and continuing the treatment of said goods in said bath until the oxidation and development of the color is complete.

6. The' proces of dyeing with indanthrene and similar vat dyes developed by oxidation which consists in subjecting the goods to be dyed to'loose, continuous; motion mcludmg v repeated submergence in the following named baths and repeated temporary elevation therefrom into the air for inspection, viz to a preliminary bath of approximately 4Q0 gallons of water, three pounds of caustlc l 7. The process of dyeing with indanthrene is I 

